Vehicle tyre vulcanising press



Jan. 16, 1962 CJMACBETH VEHICLE TYRE VULCANISING PRESS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 8, 1960 1 Jan. 16, 1962 c. MACBETH VEHICLE TYRE VULCANISING PRESS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 8, 1960 .Zrzv enter l re Patented Jan. 16, 1962 3,016,570 VEHICLE TYRE VULCANISING PRESS Colin Macbeth, 67 Norwich Union Chambers, Cougreve St., Birmingham, England Filed Aug. 8, 1960, Ser. No. 48,217 Claims priority, application Great Britain Aug. 17, 1959 3 Claims. (Cl. 18---17) This invention relates to a vehicle tyre vulcanising press of the kind adapted to treat simultaneously two tyres contained between superimposed holders, the latter comprising a lower fixed holder, and movable intermediate and upper holders.

Such a press is described in my prior British Patent No. 728,160 which shows a press comprising a base on which is formed or secured a lower holder. Above this holder is mounted an intermediate holder, and above the latter is mounted an upper holder. The first and intermediate holders are adapted to contain between them the two halves of a lower tyre mould, and the intermediate and upper holders are adapted to contain between them the two halves of an upper tyre mould.

From the intermediate holder extends an arm which is attached to a horizontal pivot shaft supported with vertical freedom of movement in a guide on the body of the press. Also from the upper holder extends an arm which is attached to another horizontal pivot shaft which is vertically movable in a second guide.

in association with the holders is provided a toggle mechanism including two long links mounted at opposite sides of the holders, the lower ends of these links being pivotally attached to the base of the press. To the upper holder is pivotally attached a transverse member which serves as a relative short toggle link and which lies between the upper ends of the long links, the latter being pivotally attached at appropriate points to the ends of the transverse member. Also on each of the long links is formed or secured a guide cam which is engaged by rollers attached to adjacent parts of the intermediate holder.

At the rear of the press is mounted a horizontal shaft which is driven through reduction gearing by an electric motor. On this shaft are provided cams for imparting motions in a vertical plane to the pivot shafts above mentioned. Also on the same shaft are provided cranks which are connected by links to the long links of the toggle mechanism. Further, another shaft is provided which is driven by another electric motor, and carries a crank arm on which is formed or secured a cam for effecting the final stage of the movement of the intermediate holder when the moulds are being separated for extraction of the tyres.

The above-described arrangement is such that after treatment of a pair of tyres one of the motors is set in motion for imparting pivotal movement to the toggle mechanism, so initiating the separation of the holders. Concurrently the vertically movable pivot shafts are raised for imparting relative vertical movements to the intermediate and upper holders, the required parallelism of the intermediate holder being maintained by the guide cams on the long toggle links. With continued movement of the toggle mechanism, the upper holder is moved to a fully open and tilted position which allows the upper tyre to be removed. Later, the other motor is set in motion for completing the movement of the intermediate holder to enable the second tyre to be removed.

The object of the present invention is to effect a simplification of the holder actuating mechanism, and enables all the desired motions to be derived from a single electric motor.

According to the present invention there is provided a vehicle tyre vulcanising press of the kind referred to wherein the holder actuating mechanism includes a toggle mechanism, a rotary crank mechanism connected by links to the toggle mechanism, a pair of transverse pivot shafts for the intermediate and upper holders arranged parallel with each other and relatively movable in a common vertical plane, cams for imparting vertical movements to the pivot shafts in the said plane, a cam and link mechanism associated with the toggle-actuating crank mechanism for effecting the final stage of opening movement of the intermediate holder, and means operable by a single electric motor for imparting motion to said crank mechanism and cams.

The invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation showing one form of vehicle tyre vulcanising press in accordance with the invention and,

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation showing an alternative form, the presses shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 each being in a closed position.

Referring now to the drawings, the press shown in FIGURE 1 comprises a base 10 carrying a lower holder 11, an intermediate holder 12., an upper holder 13, and a toggle mechanism associated with the holders. The toggle mechanism comprises a pair of long links 14. situated at opposite sides of the holders and pivoted at their lower ends on the base of the press (one such link 14 being shown in the drawings), and a transverse member 15 located across and pivotally connected to the upper holder, the upper ends of the long links 14 being pivotal- 1y connected to the ends of said transverse member 15.

From the rear of the intermediate holder 12 extends an arm 16 which is attached to a transverse pivot shaft 17 mounted horizontally at the rear of the press. Also from the upper holder 13 extends an arm 18 which is attached to another transverse pivot shaft 19. The pivot shafts 17 and 19 are parallel with each. other, and their axes are contained in a common vertical plane. Further, these shafts are supported in a guide 2% on each side of the frame of the press and are vertically movable relatively to each other and to different extents in the said plane.

At the rear of the press is mounted a shaft 21 on each end of which is secured a crank disc 22 having thereon a crank pin 23 which is connected by a link 24 to the adjacent lonk link 14 of the toggle mechanism. This shaft 21 is driven through reduction gear 25 from a single electric motor 26. Alternatively, two short and co-axial shafts may be provided for carrying the crank discs, these short shafts being driven by the motor through reduction gear and a countershaft.

On the face of each crank disc remote from the crank pin are formed a pair of cam grooves 27 and 28 which are engaged by rollers 29 and 30 respectively on the ends of the pivot shafts 17 and 19'. Alternatively the cam grooves may be formed on separate discs mounted coaxially with the crank discs.

Further, there is pivotally attached to one or each side of the intermediate holder one end of a link 31 which at its other end is pivotally attached to one end of a two-arm lever 32 having at its other end a roller 33 which co-operates with a cam 34 in the form of a plate mounted on one or each of the crank discs, the purpose of this cam being explained hereafter.

The arrangement is such that on separating the mould holders for removal of the treated tyres, the first effect of rotation of the discs 22 is to impart an initial pivotal movement to the long toggle links 14 in a clockwise direction from the position shown in FIGURE 1, so initiating the separation of the holders. During this pivotal movement a guide cam 35 on each of the long toggle links 14 engages a roller as attached to the adjacent side of the periphery of the intermediate holder 12. At the same time the cams 27 and 2S acting on the rollers of pivot shafts 17 and 19 impart vertical movements to these shafts. The effect of these combined movements is to impart relative movements in the vertical direction and at different rates to the upper and intermediate holders 13, 12, the guide cams 35 being shaped, as shown, to permit a limited upward movement of the intermediate holder 12 when the rollers 36 are initially engaged by the guide cams. During this period parallelism of the intermediate holder 12 is maintained by the action of guide cams 35 on the rollers 36. Later, and with continued actuation of the toggle mechanism, the upper holder 13 has imparted to it a fully opening movement wherein this holder is caused to take up a tilted position (not shown), leaving a gap between it and the intermediate holder sufiiciently large to enable the upper tyre to be removed. While the upper holder is being so moved to its tilted position the intermediate holder remains at rest. When the upper holder has reached its fully open position, the crank pins 23 on the crank discs have moved to or near a dead centre position, and the motor 26 is then stopped by actuation of a contact breaker which is opened by any convenient part of the press mechanism.

After the upper mould has been removed, the motor 26 is again set in motion in the same direction as before, and the toggle links 314 occupy positions in which the guide cams 35 are disengaged from the rollers 35 on the intermediate holder 12, whereupon at this stage the cam 34 which acts on the lever 32 connected to the intermediate holder 12 comes into action for imparting a fully opening movement to this holder whereby it is raised and tilted sufficiently to enable the lower tyre to be removed. When the intermediate holder is in its fully open position the motor 26 is again automatically brought to rest by actuation of a contact breaker.

After re-loading the holders, the motor is re-started, causing the cranks and earns by their continued rotation in the same direction as previously to re-close the holders and return the pivot-shafts 17 and 19 and toggle mechanism to their initial positions. Alternatively, after reloading the holders the motor may be reversed to bring the press to its initial position.

The alternative construction shown in FIGURE 2 is essentially similar to the construction shown in FIGURE 1 but difiers therefrom in that there is provided a cam 37 on one or each side of the press for engaging the roller 33 so a thereby to effect the fully opening movement of the intermediate holder, the cam 37, or each such cam, being formed integrally with or connected to the link 24 at the same side of the press, instead of being mounted on the adjacent crank disc 22 as is the case with the construction shown in FIGURE 1. Thus, the cam 37, or each such cam, may be formed integrally with the associated link 24 by casting or forging.

In either construction, however, all the required move ments of the holders are obtained through the intermediary of a single electric motor.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A vehicle tyre vulcanising press of the kind specified, comprising in combination three superimposed holders between which two vehicle tyres to be vulcanised can be accommodated, the lowermost holder being fixed, and the intermediate and uppermost holders being movable, a stationary supporting base rigid with the lowermost holder, a toggle mechanism having a transverse member pivotally connected to, and extending across, the upper side of the uppermost holder, and a pair of elongated toggle links situated at opposite sides of the holders, and extending upwardly from the base, the upper and lower ends of the toggle links being pivotally connected respectively to the transverse member and the base, a rotary crank mechanism situated at the rear of, and spaced from, the holders, means whereby the rotary crank mechanism is supported on a fixed transverse axis, links interconnecting the rotary crank mechanism and the toggle links so that the latter are pivotally movable relative to the base by the crank mechanism, a first arm rigid with, and extending from the rear of, the uppermost holder, a first transverse pivot shaft to which the first arm is attached, a second arm rigid with, and extending from the rear of, the intermediate holder, a second transverse pivot shaft to which the second arm is attached, and which is situated below, and parallel with, the first pivot shaft, guide means by which the pivot shafts are supported for relative movement in a common vertical plane, cams which are rigid with, and surround the axis of, the rotary crank mechanism, and which, during rotational movement of the crank mechanism, act on the pivot shafts for imparting vertical movements thereto, and thereby serve in conjunction with the toggle mechanism for imparting vertical opening movements to the uppermost and intermediate holders, a pair of rollers attached to opposite sides respectively of the intermediate holder, guide means provided on the toggle links at positions adjacent the intermediate holder, and engageable with the rollers on the adjacent sides of the intermediate holder to retain the latter in parallel relationship with the lowermost holder during movement of the intermediate holder in response to vertical movement of the second pivot shaft, additional cam means attached to the rotary crank mechanism, link and lever mechanism connected to the intermediate holder, and operable by the said additional cam means for completing the opening movement of the intermediate holder, a single electric criving motor, and means operatively connecting the rotary crank mechanism to the driving motor.

2. A vehicle tyre vulcanising press according to claim 1, and having a pair of discs which are formed with the cams for acting on the pivot shafts, and to at least one of which is secured a plate constituting the said additional cam means.

3. A vehicle tyre vulcanising press according to claim 1, wherein the said additional cam means is rigid with at least one of the links interconnecting the rotary crank mechanism and the toggle links.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,699,572 Soderquist Jan. 16, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 728,160 Great Britain Apr. 13, 1955 

